Telephone

Location

Academic support hours

Profile

Biography

Maurice Sunkin QC (Hon) is a Professor in the School of Law. He is General Editor of the journal Public Law and an Associate Member of Landmark Chambers, London. For the parliamentary session 2013-2014 he served as Legal Adviser to the House of Lords Select Committee on the Constitution. His past university posts include: Director of Research in the School of Law (2007-14); Dean of the School of Law (2006-07) and the Faculty of Law and Management (2006-7); University of Essex Appeals Officer/Ombudsman(2002-04); and Head of the Department of Law (1997-2000). He has been a Trustee and management committee member of the Public Law Project (2000-11). His advisory work includes acting as adviser to the Equality and Human Rights Commission regarding its report on human rights in the UK (2011-12) and as academic legal advisor to the Whitehall Working Group on Crown Immunity (2002).Before coming to Essex in 1989 he taught at the Polytechnic of the South Bank and served as Head of School of Law (1981-3).
Professor Sunkin's principal research interests are concerned with access and use of judicial review, the dynamics of public law (including human rights) litigation, and the impact of litigation and judicial decisions on public bodies and the quality of public services. He also has research interests in administrative justice and big data and human rights. He has led Nuffield Foundation funded and ESRC projects on these and related issues and has served PI and Co Director of the £6m ESRC project on Big Data and Human Rights based at Essex.
In 2018 Professor Sunkin was appointed QC Honoris Causa for pioneered an empirical approach to the law and in particular to the study of the use, operation and effects of judicial review in England and Wales.

Teaching and supervision

Current teaching responsibilities

Foundations of Public Law (LW103)

Public Law II (LW203)

Current Issues in Public Law (LW209)

Previous supervision

Joanna Elizabeth Easton

Thesis title: The Impact of Bereaved Family Participation in the Inquest Process in England and Wales Following a Death in Custody Degree subject: Human Rights Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy Awarded date: 23/1/2018

David John Sykes

Thesis title: Equity's Roving Commission in Administrative Law: An Analysis of the Present and Potential Role of Equity in the Relationship Between Local Authorities and Their Service Users Degree subject: Law Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy Awarded date: 4/7/2017

Reports and Papers (2)

Doyle, M., (2018). Relationships, trust and learning to drive: A report on a discussion of young people's participation in SEND dispute resolution Report on a roundtable discussion for the project A Place at the Table

Grants and funding

2017

A place at the table: Children's and young people's participation in resolving disputes about special educational needs - Developing a toolkit for best practice